Stutter and All
by Reinao Tanaka
Summary: SasuHina Non-massacre AU. Sasuke and Hinata head out on a mission that will forever change their relationship. Little do they know that there are forces working behind the scenes who will stop at nothing to get what they want.
1. Chapter 1

Here's the first one-shot I promised you! Well, actually, it isn't quite a one-shot because my muse doesn't know when to shut up. It ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger, so I might have to find time to continue it if you are interested in seeing it continued. Let's see...this is a non-massacre AU, so don't expect Sasuke to be all 'must avenge clan' because obviously there is no need for that. n.n Anyway, enjoy this one(or more)-shot!

_Italics are flashbacks._

Disclaimer: Don't own, so don't sue.

* * *

The mission had begun simply enough. Hyuuga Hinata and Uchiha Sasuke had been summoned to the Hokage's office, where the Third had briefed them on the nature of their mission. It was an escort mission, A-ranked only because, as the two ninja quickly discovered, their employer was paranoid. When Sasuke informed Takahashi that he was going to scout ahead, the man nearly chained the jounin to him. He said that, with her Byakugan, Hinata was the most logical choice for a scout. Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he glared at their employer. 

"She's just a chuunin," he stated.

The man looked nearly ready to have a heart attack at the thought of the Uchiha leaving his side, so Hinata shyly interrupted.

"A-ano, Sa-Sasuke. I d-don't mind go-going ahead," she stammered, pushing her pointer fingers together.

The Uchiha stared at her and she blushed, ducking her head so that she did not have to meet those intense onyx eyes. His gaze turned back to their employer and he waved a hand.

"Stay on your guard," he commanded.

"H-hai," she said, turning and quickly vanishing out of sight.

Sasuke stared moodily after her, trying to ignore the man who was practically plastered to his side. His mind turned back to the encounter with his older brother just before he had left his home to meet up with Hinata and Takahashi.

_Sasuke pulled his pack onto his back and turned toward the door, stopping when he found Itachi leaning against the frame, arms crossed over his muscular chest. An amused smirk curved his lips as he studied his younger brother._

"_A little eager, aren't you?" he asked dryly._

_Sasuke frowned, stepping toward the door._

"_It's just a mission, aniki. I'm eager to get it over with," he said dismissively._

_Itachi moved aside to allow him to pass, the smirk not leaving his handsome features. He allowed Sasuke to move down the hall, pausing just long enough to let his little brother believe he had dropped the topic._

"_So then it isn't because you get to spend time with the Hyuuga heiress?" he asked._

_The jounin froze, inwardly berating himself for that telling action. He slowly turned to face Itachi, noting the man's smirk now held a triumphant edge._

"_Why would I care about the Hyuuga?" he asked carefully._

_Itachi pushed off the door frame, sauntering down the hallway toward him. As he passed the slightly shorter man, he said softly, "You think her stutter is cute."_

_Sasuke gaped at his brother, a light blush covering his pale cheeks. The elder Uchiha gave a low chuckle._

"_You talk in your sleep, Sasuke," he admitted._

_The blush deepened and Itachi took a moment to revel in his victory before becoming serious._

"_Don't allow your feelings for her to endanger the mission, otouto. She's a chuunin. She can handle herself," he warned._

_Sasuke controlled his blush and shrugged._

"_You should know me better than that, aniki," he said._

_Itachi's gaze followed him down the hallway, dark eyes still holding a hint of worry for his younger brother. When most people looked at him, they saw the famous Uchiha prodigy, second to his brother only because he had refused to join ANBU despite several offers from the elite secret forces. He was the genius Hatake Kakashi's student and best friend of Uzumaki Naruto, the great Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. But Itachi, a renowned warrior himself, knew better. When he looked at his younger brother, he saw only a man who was as fallible as any other. He had seen the effect love could have on a person's mental facilities and he didn't want to lose Sasuke through some trivial mistake._

"_Be careful, Sasuke," he whispered._

_.oOo.oOo. _

Hinata moved easily through the forest, leaping from one tree limb to the next. For just a moment, she allowed herself to enjoy the weightless sensation as she hung in the air before landing. She stumbled slightly at the sudden stop, but quickly recovered her balance. She glanced at the forest around her, then made a hand sign.

"Byakugan!" she said.

The veins around her lavender eyes bulged and she scanned the area before her. There were no enemies, only animals. She turned back to see behind her. The only humans moving about were Takahashi and Uchiha Sasuke. With a sigh, Hinata let her bloodline limit fade away. Despite the fact that she was a chuunin, the use of the Byakugan tired her very quickly. She lifted a small hand to her chest, laying it over her heart. It had never quite recovered from Neji's blow during the chuunin exams, a fact she kept hidden from everyone. If she exerted herself too much or grew too worried over something, the organ ached and, if she pushed further, she even began to cough blood. Only Haruno Sakura knew this, for she trusted the medic to keep her secret. Sakura had tried several times to convince Hinata to quit being a ninja, but each time the gentle heiress refused. It was her goal to make her clan proud of her and they would never understand if she gave up her training because of an injury that had happened eight years ago. It was hard enough to face her father's condemning gaze now as she reported back to him how useless she had been on her mission. Hinata lifted her head, straightening her shoulders in an attempt to appear more confident.

"N-not this t-time. I'll ma-make Otousan p-proud o-of me," she said, the pathetically fractured words not giving her much hope.

She turned her head as Sasuke and Takahashi caught up with her, trying vainly to withhold a blush. She hoped neither of the men had heard her words, especially the Uchiha prodigy. With his Sharingan, genjutsu and ninjutsu techniques came easily to him. He mastered taijutsu as though he had done it his entire life. Hinata didn't think he'd had to work for something in his entire life. He could never understand how hard she struggled to be someone of whom her clan could be proud, how humiliating it had been the day her little sister Hanabi became a jounin. Hinata hung her head so that her long hair hid her face, leaping down to join the two males.

"Well?" Sasuke asked.

"Th-there's no one but u-us," she whispered.

He nodded and the trio continued on their way. Hinata assumed from Sasuke's silence that he had not heard what she had said. However, because she would not lift her head to look at the Uchiha prodigy, she never noticed the frequent glances he sent her way.

.oOo.oOo.

Later in the day, Sasuke again sent Hinata ahead of them to scout. Just as before, there was no one visible but her two companions. She deactivated her bloodline limit and turned to head back to the group, when her danger sense suddenly flared. She only had time to gasp before someone grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the trunk of a tree. The woman winced in pain and spat out blood. Her attacker cursed and released her, stepping back as she dropped to the ground. Hinata bent over, pressing a hand to her heart as she coughed up more blood. By the time she had her breathing back under control, she was surrounded by five pairs of feet. Slowly, she lifted lavender eyes to the Stone nin who stood around her.

One, the one who had first attacked her judging by the blood staining his sleeve, growled, "So this is one of the famous Hyuuga? I don't see anything special in her skills. Couldn't even tell we were here. Let's kill her now."

"Shiro, that is no way to speak of a lady," another man said, gently pulling Hinata to her feet.

She leaned back against the tree trunk, quietly drawing chakra to her fingers in preparation for an attack. Her heart was already aching, but she could not give up. She was so intent on forming a plan that she did not notice the leer the second nin had directed toward her.

"I can think of much better uses for her than death. Though we'll have to deal with her comrade first," he said.

Hinata took a quick breath and lunged toward the speaker, who was obviously the leader of the group. A pillar of stone suddenly rose from the ground, closing around the wrist of the hand she was bringing forward in a blow. Another chunk of stone shot out from the pillar, hitting her in the stomach. With a cry of pain, she flew backwards and hit a tree hard enough to crack the wood. She fell to the ground, shuddering as the coughs again overtook her. At last she lay limp on grass that was spattered with her blood, listening as the footsteps of one man approached her. He rolled her onto her back with one foot, obviously not afraid that she would try to attack him again. He lowered his body so that his legs straddled her torso and leaned forward, placing his hands on the ground just above Hinata's shoulders to support his weight.

"Keep pushing me, girl, and I'll deal with you _before_ I move on to your companion," he said.

Hinata just laid there, eyes closed and breathing ragged. One hand twitched as she tried to make her body attack him, but she was too exhausted. The Stone nin lifted a hand to brush her hair away from her face.

.oOo.oOo.

Sasuke glanced aside at Takahashi, onyx eyes narrowed. Hinata was taking far too long in her scouting mission. If nothing else, they should have caught up to her by now. But the jounin did not see or hear anything. He froze, on full alert. He didn't hear _anything_, not even the regular forest sounds. Something was wrong.

Sasuke turned to Takahashi.

"I am going to check on Hinata. Don't move from this spot," he said, tone leaving no room for argument.

Takahashi's eyes widened and he gave a quick nod, moving to the side of the path and hiding in some bushes. It wasn't exactly the best hiding spot, but Sasuke did not plan to be gone long. He headed in the direction he had last seen Hinata, stretching out his senses in an attempt to find her chakra signature. When he did locate it, it was far weaker than it should have been. Sasuke ran quickly toward it, not noticing that he was moving further from their employer than he had planned. The first thought in his mind was for Hinata's safety. He suddenly checked his movements, dropping into a hiding place. He moved forward slowly, eyes narrowing at the scene before him. A man was on top of Hinata, leaning over her nearly motionless form. Four other men stood a short distance away, their attention focused on the scene playing out before them. His eyes returned to Hinata, red flickering in their depths.

'_Fight,'_ he thought, _'Why won't you fight him?'_

When the man began to lean even closer to Hinata, Sasuke lost control. He moved to his feet, a kunai already flying toward the man. The stone nin turned, blocking the kunai with one of his own. However, Sasuke had accomplished his purpose for the man had moved away from Hinata. He moved into the clearing, eyes gone red with anger. His hands moved in a blur of seals as he took a deep breath.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu," he said, letting loose a huge ball of fire.

The other nin had already begun forming his own seals.

"Ishikabe no jutsu," he said as a wall of stone rose up before him and his teammates to block the fireball.

Barely had the last flames dispersed than Sasuke's chakra-laden fist hit the already stressed rock, shattering it to pieces. His opponent was ready for this and the dark-haired Uchiha barely ducked a volley of stones which would have crushed him. Using his Sharingan, he copied the man's next series of hand signs. Two serpents made of stone rose from the earth, crashing into each other and raining down upon the three ninjas gathered in the clearing. Hinata bit back a cry as one especially sharp piece cut through her jacket and drew blood. She pulled herself to a sitting position, lavender eyes fixing on the form of her teammate just as a large boulder crashed into the very spot where he had been standing.

"Sa-Sasuke!" she cried, struggling to stand.

She stumbled, still weak from the fight earlier, and was caught by someone. Her eyes had closed when she began to fall and she opened them very slowly, meeting the gaze of the Stone nin. Her slender frame stiffened and she tried to pull away from him, but his grip on her arms tightened to a bruising intensity.

"Well now, that wasn't so hard. I expected more from an Uchiha," he said.

Suddenly, his eyes widened and he dropped Hinata as though she burned him. He stepped back, staring wildly around him. The Hyuuga easily recognized the effects of a genjutsu and she relaxed. Her teammate was all right. When she again lifted her head to the Stone nin, Sasuke stood before the man. He made no move to defend himself, obviously unable to even tell that his enemy stood before him. Sasuke impassively drew out a kunai and plunged it into the man's chest. Hinata winced, but kept her gaze on the two. She grew tense as she waited for the lecture that was sure to come from her much more powerful companion. Sasuke turned to face the petite woman, breath coming in quick gasps. He looked furious…with her. Hinata lowered her head, again pushing her pointer fingers together.

"Why didn't you fight back? Who knows what that man might have done to you," he said.

She raised her head quickly, catching his meaning. Lavender eyes widened, then she gave him a tiny smile.

"D-don't be ri-ridicu-culous. N-no ma-man would w-want me i-in th-that wa-way," she said.

If possible, those intense onyx eyes darkened a shade.

"Don't be so sure of that," he said, voice sending chills down her spine.

She looked at him wide-eyed as he came closer.

"Sa-Sasuke, wha-" she began to stammer out.

His gaze dropped to her mouth and Hinata turned deep red. This was insane. The men had knocked her unconscious and she was hallucinating…wasn't she? There was no way Uchiha Sasuke, number two heartthrob in Konoha—second only to Itachi—actually wanted to kiss her. She was just Hyuuga Hinata, the weakest chuunin in their class, the shy outsider who didn't fit in anywhere, the—Her brain officially stopped working as Sasuke lowered his head and firmly kissed her. Hinata's eyes drifted closed and she shyly placed her hands on his shoulders. When his own arms encircled her waist, she melted against his lean form.

A sudden scream caused them to jerk apart, both of their chests rising and falling erratically. Sasuke scowled, while Hinata's eyes widened.

"Takahashi-san," she said.

Sasuke took the briefest moment to notice that her stutter was gone before he grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction from which their employer's scream had come.

.oOo.oOo.

As they ran through the forest, Sasuke's mind moved quickly through his options. He felt like an idiot for forgetting about the other four Stone nin. This must have been what his older brother had warned him about before he had left. He glanced aside at Hinata, who was struggling to keep up with the grueling pace he had set. He stopped suddenly, catching her as she stumbled in her attempt to follow suit. She leaned her head against his chest as she gasped for breath, then quickly pulled back. Her face had turned red.

"Go-gom-men," she stammered.

Sasuke pushed away his sudden urge to kiss her again, making himself concentrate on the mission.

"Can you see them?" he asked.

She blinked, activating her bloodline.

""One of them h-has a ku-kunai at Takahashi-san's th-throat. The o-other th-three are hi-hidden in the w-woods," she narrowed her eyes, as though doing so could increase her vision, "No, w-wait. I th-think those a-are de-decoys. They're taking h-him west."

Sasuke absorbed this information, following her gaze as though he too could see across that distance. He looked down at the chuunin.

"I want you to find a safe place here to wait for us. I'll go after Takahashi and meet up with you," he ordered.

"No," the word was out of her mouth before she could stop it, so she met his gaze and pressed on, "Th-this is my m-mission too. I c-can help y-you, Sasuke."

Her lavender eyes were pleading with him to let her prove her skill even as she prepared herself for his rejection. Sasuke hesitated long enough for her to look away and start to stammer out another apology. He lifted a hand and turned her face back toward his own, the gesture effectively silencing her.

"All right, Hinata. Let's move out," he said.

They skirted the decoys at a far enough distance that the lone nin who had stayed behind was not able to detect them. Sasuke kept to his usual swift pace, glancing back often to make sure Hinata was keeping up. She showed no sign of fatigue. Apparently his show of faith in allowing her to come with him had given her a second wind. Either that or she was more stubborn than he would have ever given her credit for.

"Sa-Sasuke, they're j-just ahead," she called softly.

"Do they know we're coming?" he questioned.

Hinata shook her head.

"I think they're t-trusting their co-comrade to k-keep us oc-occupied," she responded.

The Uchiha's eyes narrowed and a small smirk curved his lips.

"Their mistake," he said softly, "Hinata, I will deal with the nin. You rescue Takahashi."

Her expression fell, but she nodded obediently. Satisfied that she would obey him, Sasuke motioned that they should continue forward. The three nin came into sight, the middle one carrying an unconscious Takahashi. The Uchiha shot a glance to his companion and she nodded to show that he was ready. He drew several kunai from his pouch, tying explosion tags to their ends, then motioned to Hinata.

Whatever else could be said of the Hyuuga heiress, she was fast, he reflected. The Stone nin didn't even know what had hit them when she darted between their numbers and lifted Takahashi from the middle nin. He didn't allow them time to realize what had happened. The kunai landed neatly in a circle around the three men, tags igniting upon impact. One man leaped clear of the explosion, while another created a shield of earth around him. The third was not so lucky and even the Uchiha winced slightly at his agonized scream as he was engulfed in flames. Chakra surged to Sasuke's hand and he was on the first nin before his feet even touched the ground. The man's eyes widened and his fingers began to form a seal, but it was too late. The bird-like chirping of Chidori was the last sound he ever heard. The final nin was still hiding within his ball of earth and the Uchiha decided it was past time he join the fun. The crackling of the Chidori grew louder as he directed more chakra into his hand. He cut into the sphere and the sky was instantly filled with dust, momentarily blinding him. A wisp of chakra brushed past his cheek just before the air cleared. He found himself looking into the stunned eyes of the final nin, who had apparently been trying to sneak up on him. The man bent over, blood trickling from his mouth, to reveal Hinata behind him in her Jyuuken stance with one hand extended outward. He collapsed and she slowly straightened, her petite frame trembling as she stared at the body. Sasuke laid a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort.

"He would have killed me," he said softly.

She just nodded, meekly allowing her teammate to turn her toward Takahashi. Their employer had apparently regained consciousness sometime during the fight and was now staring wide-eyed at the bodies. Sasuke's eyes narrowed on the man's pale face. There was no way he was going to…

Takahashi fainted.

.oOo.oOo.

Several days later, Sasuke and Hinata were headed back to Konoha. They had completed their mission without running into the lone Stone nin who had survived. Even now, Sasuke had no idea why they had been after Takahashi. The man had been annoying, certainly, but he was not bold enough or strong enough to be a threat to anyone. He gave a mental shrug. They had gotten paid and that was all that really mattered. He gave a side glance toward Hinata, who was unconsciously pushing her fingers together as she walked. Her lavender eyes slid toward his, then jerked back to the ground in font of her as soon as she saw that he was watching her. Her pale face darkened to the color of a ripe tomato. Sasuke sighed. He was quite used to silence, having grown up among a clan of stoic Uchiha, but this was just awkward. He stopped suddenly and reached out, taking Hinata's arm. She allowed him to pull her to a stop, but would not meet his gaze.

"Hinata, about what happened before…" he began.

Her gaze met his and she bit her lip before interrupting, "P-please don't apologize, Sa-Sasuke! I u-under-s-stand i-if it wa-was a mi-mistake…b-but don't rub it i-in. I kn-know you c-could never wa-want m-me."

Sasuke scowled.

"And why is that?" he asked.

Her blush deepened and she looked as though she wanted to melt into the ground.

"I-I'm w-weak. I st-stutter. I'm n-not p-pr-pretty like Sa-Sakura or I-Ino. I'm j-just Hi-Hinata," she whispered, hanging her head.

She stiffened when the jounin stepped close to her, putting one hand on her chin to lift her gaze back to his. One corner of his mouth tipped upwards in a smile.

"Guess what?" he asked quietly.

"Wh-wh-what?" she forced out, trying to look anywhere but his face.

"I didn't fall in love with Ino or Sakura. I fell in love with you, Hinata, stutter and all. You aren't weak. If you were, you would have given up being a ninja a long time ago. You're beautiful and sweet and…I happen to think that your stutter is cute," he declared boldly.

Her face was deep red, but she couldn't hide the slight smile that had come to her lips. She raised her eyes to look at her teammate and her smile widened.

"Y-you're blushing!" she said.

It was his turn to look uncomfortable, but he couldn't deny the light tint of red that had swept across his pale cheeks. He couldn't believe he had just told Hinata all of that. She was teasing him. That was a good sign, right? Or maybe she just wanted to let him down easy. Did she still have that blasted crush on Naruto? Oh, Kami, he didn't know if she did or not! He was contemplating ways to murder his best friend when he felt the soft brush of fingers against his cheek. He flinched and looked down at Hinata to find her smiling shyly at him.

"Th-thank you," she whispered, lifting up on her toes to kiss him.

Sasuke's fears melted away as he returned the gentle kiss, wrapping his arms around Hinata. And his aniki had been worried.

THE END

(A/N: Really, for your sanity, stop here. If you keep reading, don't say I didn't warn you.)

Takahashi entered a dark room, bowing to a figure who was concealed by darkness.

"Well?" a snake-like voice hissed.

Takahashi made a hand sign and his appearance abruptly changed. His short, dark hair changed into a silver ponytail and his brown eyes melted to calculating black. He adjusted the glasses which sat on the bridge of his nose, smiling slightly.

"Uchiha Sasuke would be perfect. He is not quite as powerful as his brother, but he has potential, Orochimaru-sama," he said.

Orochimaru scowled at the memory of the older Uchiha brother who had so rudely rejected his advances, but it changed to a sinister smile as he considered the younger sibling.

"Yesss. Begin to put our plan into action, Kabuto-kun. This container of mine will need to be replaced soon. I cannot wait to test the true abilities of the Sharingan for myself," he said.

Kabuto hesitated, light flashing off the lenses of his glasses as he eyed his master.

"If I may, Orochimaru-sama, what happened to the fifth nin?" he asked.

The torches on the walls flared, revealing a man collapsed in the corner. His terrified eyes caught Kabuto's, but he could make no sound because a giant snake was slowly crushing him. The lights dimmed and Kabuto merely nodded. Such a waste, but the nin was just a pawn. He bowed again and left his master in darkness.

* * *

-holds breath- So, what did you guys (and gals) think? I was trying to make it a little more action-oriented, but as I've said, I'm not too good at fight scenes. Please leave a review and let me know if you like it or what you thought could be improved. I LOVE constructive criticism! 


	2. Chapter 2

So, I took a step back and plotted out exactly where I was going to go with this. I have decided that it is going to be a three-shot (though it might expand into four). This story is going to be more action-oriented, with only dashes of romance. I apologize to the SasuHina fans who are looking for fluff. If you want fluff, look for another one-shot of mine that will hopefully be coming out in the next two weeks. It will be titled _It's not Over_. Anyway, now that the shameless plug is over, please enjoy the continuation of my story. This section is rather short, but the next part should more than make up for it in length.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

**Part Two**

Weeks, then months passed, with each day seeing Hinata and Sasuke grow closer. Despite his profession of love, Sasuke did not pressure Hinata again, willing to give her time to get to know him. The two trained together and, under Sasuke's tutelage, Hinata advanced in leaps and bounds. She grew more confident in herself and her skills, slowly losing her stutter. One day, the two of them sat in the shade of a tree after a hard morning of training. Hinata had removed her jacket and was sprawled in the grass wearing only her light pants and a sleeveless black shirt. Sasuke was reclined on his side, head propped up in one hand as he watched his companion. She opened one lavender eye to frown at him.

"S-stop staring at me. It's your fault I'm so exhausted," she said.

A slight smile quirked his lips and he reached out to gently brush her hair away from her face.

"You're beautiful," he murmured.

Her face went instantly red and Sasuke jerked his hand away. He rolled onto his back, imprisoning both hands behind his head. When Hinata glanced over at him, she discovered that his cheeks were also tinted pink. She smiled and sat up, leaning toward him in an attempt to catch his eye. He studiously avoided looking in her direction.

"Sasuke-" she started.

He sat up quickly. His eyes met hers for a moment before fixing on a point over her shoulder.

"I'm really sorry. I told myself I wouldn't push you toward anything and then I make that stupid statement. I-" it was Hinata's turn to interrupt him by laying her fingers over his mouth.

His eyes jerked back to her in surprise.

"Did you really mean what you said?" Hinata asked, removing her fingers only when she was done speaking.

The Uchiha's blush darkened and he ducked his head as he whispered, "Yes."

Hinata leaned over and kissed his cheek, quite enjoying the sight of the stoic Sasuke blushing nearly as red as she once had around Naruto. A goofy grin spread across his face as he met her gaze.

"Hinata," he began softly.

Just then, Itachi landed beside them, causing the young lovebirds to jump away from each other. He turned the eyes of his ANBU mask toward his younger brother.

"The Hokage has summoned you," he said.

Sasuke instantly became serious, standing to his feet.

"A mission?" he asked.

Itachi nodded and Sasuke looked at Hinata.

"I'll see you later," he said.

"Be careful," she warned softly.

He gave her a slight smile, then darted off toward the Hokage's office. Hinata glanced at the masked Uchiha, her eyes worried.

"I-is it a dangerous m-mission?" she asked.

"Not especially so," Itachi said. She couldn't see his expression, but gained the sense that he was smiling as he continued, "Are you in love with my brother?"

She blushed, looking away from him. Though Hinata suspected that she was, she wasn't ready to admit it to herself, let alone anyone else. Itachi merely nodded again and left her alone.

.oOo.oOo.

Sasuke's mission went more easily than expected and he was actually running a day ahead of schedule on his way back to Konoha. As he was passing through a village, he recalled what his brother had told him at the gate as he was leaving. _'You might want to get a ring while you're gone.'_ Itachi was an excellent judge of people and the younger Uchiha had no doubt that, if Itachi thought Hinata was ready for a proposal, then she was. With that thought in mind, he entered the first jewelry store he saw, scanning the shelves of rings for one that would fit Hinata. At last, he found the perfect ring, though…He motioned the proprietor of the store over to him.

"Could you make a few modifications to this one?" he asked.

The man listened to what he had in mind before nodding.

"Certainly, but it will take a few hours," he said.

Sasuke smiled, "I'll wait."

A short while later, he reentered the store and paid for his purchase, slipping it into his backpack. Then, he turned his steps homeward, mind moving ahead to what he would say to Hinata. His mind was so fixed on her that he didn't notice his surroundings until it was too late. A hand touched the back of his neck and instantly his body went numb. He fell to the ground and a silver-haired man stepped into his line of sight.

"How good to see you again, Sasuke-kun," he said.

The Uchiha frowned at him. How did this man know him? He tried to make his body move as the man came closer, but his muscles refused to respond. The man picked up his backpack and started to rummage through it.

"What shall we leave for your friend the Jinchuuriki to find?" he said.

Sasuke's throat went dry. He was after Naruto! His eyes narrowed when the man pulled put the tiny jewelry box, opening it and chuckling at the ring inside.

"How priceless, Sasuke-kun was going to propose. Was it to the little Hyuuga girl? I do hope she comes after you. Orochimaru-sama would quite enjoy gaining someone of the Hyuuga bloodline to experiment on," he said.

The man dropped the ring to the ground, then pulled off Sasuke's headband and dropped it as well.

"There. Your friends should come running to rescue you," he stated, lips twisted in a mirthless smile as he reached up to adjust his glasses.

His face was the last thing Sasuke saw as the man bent down and knocked him unconscious.

.oOo.oOo.

Hinata glanced away from the path which led into the village as Naruto joined her at the gate.

"Hey, Hinata-chan! No sign of the _teme_ yet?" he greeted.

She shook her head, wringing her hands.

"H-he should b-be back by n-now," she answered, worry make her stutter more than she had been.

Naruto sobered instantly at the distress in her lavender eyes. He laid a friendly hand on her shoulder.

"All right then. Let's go find him, he decided.

Too concerned about Sasuke to worry about the rules of the village, Hinata nodded and followed her blond-haired idol out the gates. The duo traveled in silence. Though Naruto's confident personality hid it well, she could tell that he too was worried. Sasuke was never late in returning from a mission. If anything, he was early. Hinata activated her Byakugan to scan the path before them. Her gaze caught on something and she stopped suddenly, reaching out a hand to grab Naruto's arm.

"There's a headband on the path in front of us," she said, voice choked.

The Jinchuuriki's eyes narrowed and he darted off before she could stop him. By the time she caught up, he already held the headband.

"It might not be Sasuke's," he said in an attempt to reassure her.

Hinata's eyes, however, had caught on something else that glittered in the dust of the path. She picked it up and her heart stopped beating for a moment.

"It is," she confirmed softly.

Naruto leaned over to look at what she held in her hand. He looked shocked for a moment at the sight of the silver engagement ring. There was no denying it belonged to Sasuke, for it was set with a single diamond and several rubies in the distinctive shape of the Uchiha crest. His blue eyes turned to the dazed Hinata, then his expression softened in pity as he realized for whom the ring was meant.

"Let's get back to Konoha and get the Hokage to organize a team to send after him," he suggested.

.oOo.oOo.

In no time at all, a group of four shinobi gathered at the front gates of Konoha. They consisted of Kakashi (the tracker and strategist), Naruto (the power), Sakura (the healer), and Hinata (the scout). The silver-haired joinin summoned his nin dogs and the group set off. They had only gone a short distance from Konoha when a fifth ninja joined their group. It was Itachi in normal jounin attire, his expression grim. Kakashi shook his head at the Uchiha.

"The Hokage forbade you coming on this mission," he stated.

"He is my brother," Itachi responded as though that ended the argument.

And it did.

* * *

Now, to answer reviews...

**P'tfami:** Yay, you have given me a chance to get on my soapbox! n.n Anyway, from my limited understanding of the Narutoverse, Orochimaru left the Akatsuki because of a failed attempt to use Itachi as his next vessel. That was when he decided to go after Sasuke. Thus, in this AU world I have created, Itachi never joined the Akatsuki, Orochimaru never left the organization, and also never attacked Konoha. As a result, the Third is still alive and is the Hokage. Tsunade never returned, so Sakura is just an ordinary medic nin (since she also never had reason to have to mature like she did in the regular storyline). Though I am saying that Jiraiya still trained Naruto, because Konoha was still aware that Akatsuki was after him. Make sense? And, yes, Naruto has been accepted as the Jinchuuriki, mainly through the backing of the two Uchiha prodigies. Whew, moving on to the next question.

**Mac2:** Yeah, she was being a little selfish...but she's become a better ninja now! We'll see just how good she has gotten in the next part. n.n As you can see, Sasuke didn't really have a choice in joining Orochimaru. Shame on him for being so caught up in thoughts of Hinata.

**One far too lazy to log-in ...:** I portrayed Hinata as being so weak because I decided that, in this version, she didn't really have anyone to encourage her. In _Miru Hoshi_, she has Neji and Sakura and Naruto to encourage her, but in this realm they are all too busy with their own lives. Now that Sasuke is there for her, she is becoming more confident. I hope maybe this kinda helped to answer your questions about her. As for Itachi, well, I like seeing the older brother side of him. In my mind, at least, in this realm he chose his brother over turning to evil. Although...-gags self- well, you'll see in the next part.

That's it for now. Please leave me reviews!!


	3. Chapter 3

I realize it's short, but please bear with me. I'm sick and I just wanted to get something up here for you guys and gals. I promise the next one will be longer. I was looking over my plans for this story and I realized I had forgotten to include some things last chapter, so I had to make a separate chapter for them before the big battle. The battle will be in the next part, which will also be the ending.

Disclaimer: Naruto-kun and company are not mine, nor will they ever be.

* * *

**Part Three**

When Sasuke regained awareness of his surroundings, he was bound to a wall with chakra strings. The room he was in seemed to be underground, for the air was dank and the only illumination came from a single candle set on a table. The silver-haired man who had captured him stood beside him. The man withdrew a chakra-lit hand from his forehead, smiling in satisfaction.

"There you go, Sasuke-kun. Activate your Sharingan for me," he said conversationally.

The Uchiha merely glared at him, unwilling to even appear as though he was obeying the man's orders. A disturbing chuckle came from the shadows beyond the reach of the candle.

"He's quite stubborn, isn't he, Kabuto-kun?" a voice hissed from the darkness.

"It doesn't really matter, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto responded, again lifting his hand to Sasuke's face.

He sent a probe of chakra into the nerve endings and Sasuke felt the Sharingan activate automatically. His gaze locked with Kabuto's and the tomoe in the Sharingan began to whirl. Kabuto merely chuckled and turned back toward Orochimaru.

"I've deactivated the chakra flow to the Sharingan. Sasuke-kun won't be able to do anything until I remove the block," he said.

"Excellent," Orochimaru responded, stepping into the light.

"What do you want with me?" Sasuke demanded.

Orochimaru stepped closer, tongue sliding from his mouth to lick his lips as he stared at the bound Uchiha. His snake-like pupils narrowed as he considered Sasuke's question, then a predatory smile crossed his face.

"Your brother never told you about me? I would be hurt…but I imagine there are many things about his classified missions that Itachi would not tell his friends in Konoha," he paused a moment to watch that seed take root before he continued, "I did learn one useful thing from him, though. Your Sharingan can resist my technique like no other kekkei genkai. Thus the precaution Kabuto-kun has taken of disabling yours until I am safely at home in my new body."

Sasuke's eyes widened in horror as he followed Orochimaru's words to their logical conclusion. Off to the side, he heard Kabuto's quiet laughter. The snake-like man formed a few hand seals and said, "Fushi Tensei."

Before Sasuke's eyes, Orochimaru transformed into a great snake. He flinched backwards against the wall, but had nowhere to go as the snake swallowed him whole. He felt as through his mind was being torn from his body as fragments of other people's faces passed before him. He realized that these people were Orochimaru's former containers, their souls forever trapped within the man who had taken over their bodies. His mind flashed to Hinata and his jaw firmed. There was no way he would allow himself to suffer that same fate. He would return to the person he loved!

The next thing he knew, he was again slumped against the wall and bound by chakra lines. His body was shaking with exhaustion as he lifted his head. Orochimaru was flat on the ground, Kabuto kneeling beside him. The silver-haired man helped his master to his feet and Orochimaru glared at Kabuto.

"You said you had deactivated his Sharingan," he hissed.

"I did, Orochimaru-sama. It must be the Sharingan itself that resists your technique, not the user. You'll have to weaken it in order for it to accept you," Kabuto suggested.

Orochimaru took a step toward Sasuke before he staggered, forcing him to lean heavily on his subordinate.

"I don't have time to wait. This container is starting to reject me," he said.

"I know, Orochimaru-sama. Just wait a day or two. If he survives the curse seal, then he should be all yours," Kabuto reassured him.

Orochimaru bared his fangs and, suddenly, leaned forward to sink them into Sasuke's neck. The Uchiha's arms jerked against his bonds in an instinctive move to protect himself, but he was unable to do anything. Orochimaru pulled back, still appearing disgruntled, while Kabuto looked faintly pleased. That was the last thing Sasuke saw before his vision went dark as searing pain swept through his body.

.oOo.oOo.

The group of Konoha nin came to a sudden halt as Hinata lifted a hand.

"There's s-someone coming," she reported.

"He's an ally," Itachi said calmly.

Kakashi frowned at the Uchiha, ready to reprimand him, when a blond man suddenly landed on the branch beside them. The Copy Ninja looked downright murderous when he saw that the newcomer wore a black cloak covered in red clouds.

"Itachi," he growled.

"We're ready, Itachi-san. Just give the word and the others won't know what hit them, yeah," the blond interrupted.

"Good, Deidara. They don't suspect anything?" Itachi questioned.

"Not a thing, yeah. We've been very careful," Deidara assured him, vanishing as quickly as he had come.

Kakashi was still scowling at the Uchiha.

"You have quite a bit of explaining to do when this mission is over, Itachi," he said quietly.

"Who was that, sensei?" Naruto asked loudly.

"A member of an organization that plans to extract the Kyuubi from you," Itachi answered before Kakashi could.

He left the blond gaping after him as he moved off in the direction Deidara had gone, toward Orochimaru's base. Hinata quickly caught up with him, glancing over into features that looked so much like Sasuke's.

"Itachi-san, how do you know someone like that?" she questioned.

He glanced at her, eyes revealing nothing.

"That's classified, Hinata. I hold the loyalty of several members of the organization and they are going to help get Sasuke back. That is all you need to know," he stated.

Hinata returned her mind to the mission, but she couldn't help sending one more glance at the bewildering Uchiha. She could only think that she was grateful he was on their side.

* * *

Fushi Tensei is Orochimaru's technique to take over people's bodies. It translates literally into 'Living Corpse Reincarnation," or so Wikipedia tells me. The name and the description of the jutsu were taken from Wikipedia, since I try to block all memory of Orochimaru from my mind. Please let me know if my descriptions are wrong. 

Oh, how I love Itachi. I couldn't resist the temptation to still have him involved with the Akatsuki in some way. You'll find out more about the connection next chapter, I think.

**Akai-sora:** This is a SasuHina, so I didn't take time to devote thought to an Itachi pairing. I suppose it is possible that he has found a "special someone," but knowing that isn't essential to the plot. I hesitate to say this, but feel free to let your imagination wander on the Itachi love life front. I'm not going to specify anyone, so you can picture who you wish, or leave him by himself.

**Kenshinlover2002:** Why did he have to be taken when he was going to propose? Well, because the authoress is an evil and sinister person who loves making characters fight for their happy endings, that's why. n.n

**TimDrakeFanatic:** Oh, character looks...heh, yeah, I guess those are kinda important. Oh well, I'll work on it in my next story, I guess. It's a little late for this one since there is only one chapter left.

Please leave a review if you liked the chapter or see area for improvement!


	4. Chapter 4

Whew, this is I think one of the longest chapters I have ever written. Seven whole computer pages. I feel quite proud. n.n

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san, but the plot is MINE!!

* * *

Part Four

Deidara landed before a sealed door, casually forming a hand sign to open it. Without a backward glance, he entered the cool interior of the Akatsuki's underground labyrinth. The door closed behind him and the blond made his way deeper into the darkness, navigating more by memory than by the dim torchlight. He paused outside the door to his room, turning his head toward a dark corner.

"Kisame, I can't say it's a pleasure, yeah," he said dryly.

The shark-like ninja stepped into the light, baring his sharp teeth in a grin.

"Open the door, Deidara," he responded, "I would have waited in your room, but I didn't want my head to get blown off."

The blond smiled thinly, forming another hand sign to release the tiny clay spiders which had been adhered to his door while he was gone. They fell into his hands and were quickly ingested by the mouths in his palms. He stepped into his sparsely decorated room, Kisame stalking after him. The blue-skinned ninja met his partner's gaze, resting an uneasy hand on his gigantic sword.

"Zetsu and Tobi returned today," he said lowly.

Deidara cursed under his breath, color draining from his face.

"This isn't what I signed up for, yeah. Taking on Leader, Konan, and Orochimaru is one thing...but Tobi?" the blond shook his head.

"We have Itachi-san," Kisame stated.

Deidara glared at him.

"We have the Uchiha prodigy; they have the founder of the clan, yeah. I'm not overflowing with confidence on the odds," he said.

"It's too late for second thoughts, Deidara. We've been kept waiting too long already," a third voice had both Akatsuki members jumping.

Deidara turned to the door which led into his workshop, scowling as he said, "Sasori no Danna, how did you-?"

The red-haired ninja stepped into the main room, giving his fellow artist the smallest of smiles. Beside Deidara, Kisame studied Sasori. This was the first time he had seen the puppet master's real body, if it could be called that. He snorted in disgust.

"No one told me I joined the pretty-boy side," he growled.

Deidara's tense expression softened at what he knew the shark-nin meant as a joke. For all his gruff exterior, Kisame was a good person--somewhere deep, deep down at least. Then again, they all were or they wouldn't be doing this. All three of them had been lured to Akatsuki by dreams of freedom and power, had been consumed by the promises first Pein then Tobi had dangled before them.

However, the eldest Uchiha had made one great mistake by taking Itachi as his student.

While grooming the prodigy to become his second-in-command, he had introduced Itachi to the members of Akatsuki. Deidara was never quite certain how it had happened, but somehow Itachi had managed to reawaken the humanity that the three missing-nin had thought was lost to them forever. The four of them had hatched a plan to do away with Akatsuki once and for all, but had been biding their time while they all carried on a dangerous game of deception. As partners who shared the same goal, Deidara and Kisame had perhaps had it easiest while Itachi had the hardest role to play as the faithful student of the devil himself--Tobi, AKA Uchiha Madara.

The blond sighed.

"You're right, Sasori no Danna. It is past time to end this, yeah. I just hope Itachi-san knows what he is doing," he said.

"If he doesn't, we won't have much time to regret our decision," Kisame put in.

Sasori smirked, "No waiting at least."

Deidara checked the pouches of clay strapped to his waist, then nodded at his companions.

"Let's go make some art, yeah," he said.

The red-haired puppet master considered arguing that statement, but decided against it. The three missing-nin left Deidara's chambers together, but quickly split up to go their separate ways. Kisame was the last to go, eyes narrowing in on something. Faster than thought, he drew his massive blade and slammed the blade into the wall. He stood motionless for a few seconds, several stones falling from the ceiling to land on his broad shoulders and roll to the ground. Then, the area he had impaled with the tip of Samehada faded from brown to green. His white eyes held Zetsu's blank golden gaze before he withdrew his sword to allow the dead body to slump to the floor.

"One down," he mumbled to himself.

Akatsuki's spymaster was no more.

.oOo.oOo.

The five Konoha nin landed outside the same door through which Deidara had entered but a short time before. Itachi walked toward it with the ease of one who had done this many times before, while Kakashi and the two kunoichi hesitated. Naruto, of course, was barreling along in the Uchiha prodigy's wake. Itachi made a hand sign, causing the door to creak open. He froze suddenly, reaching out and fisting a hand in Naruto's bright orange jacket when the Jinchuuriki showed no signs of halting. A massive wave of sinister chakra was rolling from the dark opening, raising the hair on all of their necks.

"What are we waiting for?" Naruto demanded.

Itachi glanced at him, then turned to face his companions.

"Change of plans," he stated, "Naruto and Sakura, you will meet up with Kisame and Deidara. Hinata, you will partner with Akasuna no Sasori. Kakashi, I will need your help."

The loud blond scowled at Itachi.

"I'm here to rescue Sasuke," he said stubbornly.

"It is Hinata's place to go after my brother. However, she won't succeed unless you do as I say. I am sending you against the leader of Akatsuki and his partner, Naruto. Can you handle it?" Itachi deliberately made his words into a challenge.

Naruto puffed up at having his skill challenged.

"Of course I can defeat him. Believe it!" he exclaimed.

Itachi nodded, "Good. You and Sakura follow this hallway. Deidara and Kisame will find you there and lead you to where the leader is. Hinata-" he paused upon seeing her pale features. His expression softened ever so slightly, "You will go down that hallway. Sasori will take care of you."

She drew herself up, forcing a firm nod. Itachi gave her a rare smile.

"Move out then," he commanded.

He watched the three younger ninja vanish down their respective hallways, waiting until they were gone to turn to the final Konoha nin. Kakashi was watching him with narrowed eyes, his Sharingan spinning.

"If you've sent them to their deaths..." he growled.

"It won't be easy, but I have faith in them and my friends. I need you to trust me, Kakashi-san," Itachi said quietly.

"What aren't you telling me? What changed your plans?" the jounin asked coolly.

"Uchiha Madara is here. You are the only other one here with a Sharingan to afford you some protection against his attacks," Itachi said.

He saw the suspicion deepen in Kakashi's mismatched eyes, but there was no time to explain himself now. Madara would be sensing his chakra signature any time now, despite Itachi's efforts to cloak it. He and Kakashi had to be ready for Madara, or this rescue attempt would be over before it had even begun.

.oOo.oOo.

Hinata advanced slowly down the hallway, her Byakugan activated. However, even with the help of her bloodline limit, she nearly missed Sasori's presence. He plodded to her side, silent despite the bulkiness of the puppet in which he had concealed himself.

"This way," he said, voice rough.

He cast a side glance at the quiet girl who had fallen in beside him. She was quite pretty and with those eyes, she would make a good addition to his puppet collection--he quickly curtailed the thought. Today was to be the start of his new life. There would be no more human additions to his numerous puppets. They traveled in silence until they reached a point far below the earth's surface. Hinata could feel the evil oozing from the door before them. She could also sense, very faintly, Sasuke's distinct chakra signature. The veins leading to her eyes bulged as she again awakened the Byakugan. A small gasp escaped her lips. She forcefully restrained her fear for the man she loved, instead calmly reporting to the man beside her.

"Sasuke is in a room to the left, chained to the wall. Two other ninja are in the room this door leads to. They are studying some sort of scroll and have their backs to the door," she whispered.

The puppet nodded and commanded, "Move back."

She stepped away, watching as a tail unfurled from the puppet's cloak. With blinding speed, it smashed into the door, splinters of wood spraying everywhere. Sasori directed his puppet into the opening he had created, pleased to find Orochimaru scowling at him.

"What are you doing here?" the snake nin demanded of his partner.

Sasori didn't deign him with a response, instead moving to attack. Seeing that they were occupied, Hinata edged into the room, heading for the room where Sasuke was being kept. Her danger sense flared and she brought up a chakra-shrouded hand just in time to fend off a blow from Kabuto. The light glinted off his glasses as he smiled.

"Hinata-chan, I was hoping you would come. I'm afraid though that Sasuke-kun is unavailable right now. You'll have to play with me instead," he said.

She narrowed her eyes at him, not responding to his arrogant gibe. She was going to rescue Sasuke.

.oOo.oOo.

Naruto nearly had his head taken off by Samehada when he tried to attack the shark-nin. Sakura had to restrain her blond companion, at last smacking him over the head to quiet him down.

"I assume you are Deidara-san and Kisame-san?" she asked.

Deidara smiled at the pink-haired medic-nin, causing his partner to roll his eyes. The handsome Akatsuki member could be a big flirt at times, a source of great frustration to the blunt shark-nin.

"I am Deidara. This is my partner, Kisame," he half-bowed as he introduced himself, "And you are?"

"Haruno Sakura. The idiot here is-" Sakura began.

"Uzumaki Naruto, the next Hokage. Believe it!" the blond announced.

Kisame frowned. He should have decapitated the loudmouth when he had the chance. He glanced at Deidara.

"We shouldn't delay," he said.

His partner sighed, giving up on flirting with Sakura for now.

"We should go, yeah. And be quiet," the last command was of course directed toward Naruto.

The Konoha ninja pouted, but a glare from Sakura convinced him to cooperate. The foursome made their way down the hallway to the chambers which Pein and Konan shared. Deidara withdrew his hands from his clay pouches, releasing a flood of tiny spiders to infiltrate the rooms. After a moment, he inclined his head, indicating which room the two were in. A second later, multiple explosions sounded. Kisame kicked the door in and vanished into the smoke, Samehada already unsheathed and ready for blood. he two blonds quickly followed him, leaving Sakura in the hall alone. She drew a kunai from her holster, holding it ready as her green eyes attempted to pierce through the thick smoke. She hoped the others were all right.

.oOo.oOo.

Hinata was doing her best to hold her own against Kabuto. Only her Byakugan was allowing her to keep up with the skilled medic-nin. She flinched as a snake suddenly reared up in front of her and had to fend off its strike. The slimy monster came after her again, but a puppet suddenly came between them, bringing up a blade and impaling the snake's body. It writhed in agony, crushing the puppet in its death throes. Hinata staggered back from it, losing sight of Kabuto. She saw him coming up behind her and whirled to block his strike. He knocked her hands aside with one of his own. she watched with wide eyes as his free hand, laden with green chakra, came up and struck her over the heart. She bent over, coughing out blood as the already weakened organ convulsed in her chest. Kabuto's eyes glinted with triumph as he readied himself for a killing blow. His eyes suddenly widened and he made a choked sound, looking down in shock at the blade which protruded through his chest. He slumped sideways onto the ground, revealing a familiar dark head.

"Sasuke!" Hinata whispered.

He lifted his head and she shuddered with sudden fear. His Sharingan were activated, black tomoes whirling within the crimson spheres. But what caused her fear was the black markings which had spread over his pale skin. His eyes met hers, expression remaining set in cold anger, then he turned to where Orochimaru and Sasori fought. He took a step toward them and the realization that he intended to enter the fight drove Hinata into action despite her aching body. She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He froze as she buried her face in his dark hair.

"Sasuke, don't go. Please..." she loosened her grip as he turned to face her. When his gaze again locked on hers, she added, "Come back to me."

He closed his eyes. The black marks slid back across his face and down his neck, to a seal which pulsed with evil. She ignored it for the moment, instead watching his face anxiously. He opened his eyes and they had returned to their normal onyx shade.

"Hinata," he said softly.

She wrapped her arms around him again, tears coming to her eyes when she felt him return the embrace.

"I love you," he whispered into her hair.

A throat clearing next to them had them jumping apart. Sasuke instinctively placed himself between Hinata and this unknown ninja.

"Sasori-san," Hinata said in relief.

She had been so caught up in Sasuke that she hadn't even noticed the other battle had ended. She glanced over that way, but was unable to distinguish Orochimaru from the broken puppets which littered the floor.

"Come," Sasori instructed, turning to leave the room.

Hinata followed him, casting a smile in Sasuke's direction when she felt his hand capture hers. They walked quietly back the way they had come.

"There are four people coming toward us," Hinata reported.

"Teme!" Naruto shouted.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, releasing Hinata's hand to greet his best friend. Naruto pushed past Sakura and Deidara, who had been walking in the front. The blond Aktsuki saved Sakura from falling, smiling when she blushed. Kisame scanned the group, his own expression remaining serious.

"Where is Itachi-san?" he asked.

Sasuke glanced toward him, then back at his teammates.

"My brother came?" he questioned.

Kisame was already moving down a different hallway, limping slightly from a wound the former leader of the Akatsuki had inflicted. Sasori was quick to follow, as was Deidara, and the four young Konoha nin fell in behind him. They quickly entered a section of the Akatsuki base which had been completely demolished. Kisame sidestepped an area which burned with the black flames of Amaterasu, stepping through a gaping hole in the wall. He froze just inside, his massive bulk blocking the view of the others.

"Move aside, yeah. Is Itachi-san all right?" Deidara growled at his partner.

He didn't bother asking if Madara was dead, for he knew Kisame would already be dead or writhing in agony from Tsukuyomi were the true Akatsuki leader still alive. Silently, the shark-nin moved aside, allowing the others to enter. The room was in utter shambles, destroyed from the fight which had taken place within. One section of the floor was also engulfed in black flame and the orange mask which lay just beyond the reach of the flames clearly showed Madara's fate.

However, their attention was quickly drawn to where Kakashi knelt over a prone body. He had looked up at their entrance.

"Kakashi-sensei, is..?" Naruto trailed off.

The silver-haired jounin shook his head, wearily reaching up to draw his headband down over his Sharingan eye. He stood stiffly, stepping aside to reveal Itachi's motionless body. Sasuke made a soft sound which might have been a stifled sob and the others respectfully stood aside, letting him be the first to reach his brother. Hinata was next in line, laying a hand on Sasuke's shoulder as she looked down into Itachi's face. He was bloodied and badly burned, his expression pained instead of peaceful.

"It was for the best," Kakashi said quietly, "He met Uchiha Madara's Tsukuyomi head-on. Even with his own Sharingan, the attack probably injured him mentally. At worst, he might have become insane. This way, he died an honorable death in battle."

Kisame snorted, "Don't patronize the boy. You know he won't be remembered honorably. He was Madara's student, a traitor to his village, even if he was doing it to save Konoha."

Hinata felt Sasuke stiffening under her hand. He stood and glared at the shark-nin, eyes bleeding to red.

"His body is coming back to Konoha with us," he said.

"He's a hero," Naruto put in, not knowing the whole story but defending his best friend's brother anyway.

"Not be the council's standards. They'll dishonor his body and use it for research, yeah," Deidara countered.

Sakura looked up at the silver-haired jounin. Her green eyes were sober. As a medic-nin, she knew what would be done to Itachi's body to find any secrets it might hold. Kakashi ran a hand through his disheveled hair, frowning beneath his mask. When he had first learned that Itachi was affiliated with Akatsuki, he had wanted to believe the worst. However, a lot of things had come out during the fight with Madara. In the end, Itachi had made the ultimate sacrifice to save his village. But, as Deidara had pointed out, the rest of the village would not see that. He looked over at the three former Akatsuki members.

"You will see that his body is properly seen to?" he asked.

The three men nodded soberly. Kakashi stepped up to Sasuke's other side, laying a gloved hand on his shoulder.

"We need to head back to Konoha," he said.

Sasuke's jaw tightened with restrained anger. Sakura bit her lip before deciding to speak.

"If we take his body back, they'll take it apart piece by piece and study it," she said.

When Sasuke continued to stand over his brother's body, Hinata motioned for the others to go ahead and leave. Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi left the room altogether, while Sasori, Deidara, and Kisame clustered together in the corner. Hinata moved to stand in front of Sasuke, wrapping her arms around him. After a moment, his proud head lowered and she felt dampness seeping into her shirt. He cried silently, mourning the man he admired above all others. At last, he stepped back from her, drying his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Thanks," he whispered.

She nodded and, taking his hand, the two left the ruins of Akatsuki headquarters. The three missing-nin moved toward their fallen friend as soon as the Konoha nin left. Kisame drew Samehada, holding the sword over Itachi's body. It lit with blue chakra that filtered down into the Uchiha. They stood motionless for several minutes, intent gazes fixed on him. Suddenly, he drew in a gasping breath, dark eyes opening. He sat up, breath coming more normally as the paleness left his features.

"They're gone?" he asked.

"Yes," Sasori said.

For just a minute, Itachi allowed sadness to enter his dark eyes. He nodded and rose to his feet, staggering slightly so that Kisame had to move forward to support him.

"You couldn't have gone back, Itachi-san. They would have labeled you a traitor," the shark-nin said.

Itachi nodded. This had all been a part of his plan, but that didn't make it any easier to know how much he had hurt his little brother. After a moment, he raised his head.

"Hidan and Kakuzu?" he asked, referring to the final two surviving members of Akatsuki.

"We know their approximate location, yeah," Deidara said.

"Don't want to keep them waiting," Sasori added darkly.

"Let's go then," Itachi said quietly.

Even in his apparent death, he would continue to deal with threats to Konoha's safety. Hidan and Kakuzu would be only the first to go.

.oOo.oOo.

Naruto was beaming to himself as he ambled up to Sasuke. He nudged the dark-haired Uchiha in the side, trying his best to lift Sasuke's spirits.

"I have something that belongs to you," he said.

Sasuke glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow. Naruto chuckled, reaching out and pressing a small object into his best friend's hand. The Uchiha blushed as soon as he realized what it was. He looked over at Hinata.

"Hinata?" he asked.

She looked over at him and Naruto had to nudge Sasuke again to get him to continue.

"This...probably isn't the best time, but-" he opened his hand to reveal the ring Naruto had given him, "Would you marry me?"

His dark eyes were begging her to give him a good memory to replace the horrible sight of his brother's burned body. She nodded, holding out her hand.

"Of course, Sasuke. I'll marry you," she said quietly.

He slid the ring onto her finger, then pulled her close and kissed her. He wasn't ready to smile yet, but the light in his eyes clearly showed his joy. She smiled, then realized that the others were watching them. A blush spread across her face. He noticed, but didn't release her, instead bending for another kiss. She turned her head away.

"S-Sasuke!" she stammered, now clearly embarrassed.

"I love you, Hinata," he whispered, "Stutter and all."

* * *

Before you ask, Sasuke was able to escape his restraints once the cursed seal was activated.

Thanks to **SmallButPowerful**, **Diablo's Heir**, **mac2**, **Akai-sora**, and **Kenshinlover2002** for reviewing! Please take the time to leave me a review and let me know what you thought!


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